Checking Out Google Trends For Websites — I need to start this post with an important disclosure. I was on the Board of ComScore for nine years from the summer of 1999 until earlier this month. And I am still a shareholder in ComScore through the Flatiron partnerships.

The harsh reality of suburban broadband — Like millions of other Americans and many of New York City's “bridge and tunnel” crowd, I live in the 'burbs. While I do a great deal of travel for my full time job, I am also classified as a “mobile” employee, so I'm not formally attached to an office …

A Peek Inside Google's Gmail Usability Lab — Nika Smith wrote a post on the Google blog today showing the evolution of Google chat before it launched in early 2006. Google does extensive testing of new products using employees as guinea pigs (see our post on the pre-launch evolution of Gmail) …

The Shootout Over Hidden Meanings in a Video Game — Prepared for Combat A scene from Metal Gear Solid 4. Is there a message about American domination? At right, real life in Iraq. — If there's a subject that's as contentious as war itself, it might be a video game about war.

Surviving the Net — Who controls TinyURL (or Snurl or other URL shortener) controls the high ground in the battle for the Internet platform. Here's why: Our brains are wired to protect ourselves from threats to our food, oxygen, and water sources. Most attacks on our supply chains come …

Return of the '70s Weirdos — That photo of 11 weirdos in '70s clothes you may have seen on the Internet really is the original Microsoft team, snapped Dec. 7, 1978, on the eve of the company's move from Albuquerque, N.M., to Seattle. Almost 30 years later, a few weeks before Bill Gates's departure …

The iPhone's shocking cost of international downloads — Using the Apple mobile to watch TV overseas could cost more than your break — The thousands of consumers planning to snap up a 3G iPhone when they go on sale next month could be hit with bills of thousands of pounds if they download music …

Three Little Tips for Capturing Info Bits Quickly — I consume a lot of information - all of it, digitally. In fact, I recently completed the transition a 100% media green state. I continue to use Gmail as a nerve center - my primary capture system. But sometimes, I want to flag something quickly to review later.

MPAA Says It Doesn't Need Evidence to Convict Pirates — Threat Level reports that the MPAA now argues that it has the right to demand up to $150,000 in damages per illegally downloaded file, without having to proof that someone actually downloaded that file. — Yes we know, this doesn't make sense at all.

Predicting Where You'll Go and What You'll Like — THAT hoariest of real estate truisms — location, location, location — may soon be a clarion call for all sorts of businesses. — We're in the midst of a boom in devices that show where people are at any point in time.

Sprint Treo 800w date confirmed: July 13th — A ways back we said the date for the much anticipated (well, for a few of us at least) Palm Treo 800w was July 22nd. — Then newer info popped up suggesting it got bumped to July 13th. — Looks like that latter date is turning out to be correct …